Searching for Heaven
by Okie95
Summary: I shouldn't have been surprised that my life was falling to shambles. The clock was striking midnight on my fairytale, and I felt stupid for allowing myself to believe that I would ever be able to escape my past. My story wasn't meant to have a happily ever after. All Human.
1. Prologue

I shouldn't have been surprised that my life was falling to shambles. The clock was striking midnight on my fairytale, and I felt stupid for allowing myself to believe that I would ever be able to escape my past. My story wasn't meant to have a happily ever after.

Icy blue eyes bore into mine from across the room, causing a violent shudder to ripple through my body. He reached into the waist band of his jeans and pulled out a gun, his mouth forming into a sinister grin. I willed myself to run, but I was frozen in place. He cocked the gun and aimed it at me without any hesitation or remorse. Tears filled my eyes as I realized the gravity of the situation. I let my mind wander over the events of the last few months and the happiness I had experienced during the time. It had been paradise, a dream come true, but I knew it couldn't last.

"How did you find me?" I asked, working to keep my voice steady. His smile only grew wider, obviously finding pleasure in my fear.

"I have my ways."

His finger began to pull back on the trigger and I resolved myself to the fact that I would be leaving my house in a body bag.

My front door burst open as the bullet left the chamber of the gun, allowing me one last glimpse of the man I had grown to love.

"BELLA!"

Searing pain radiated throughout my body as the bullet found its mark, causing me to collapse to the ground and the world around me to go black.


	2. Living in Hell

**Welcome to Searching for Heaven! This is my first story on FF, so feel free to leave your reviews telling me what you liked and what I can do better on. Anyway, I hope that they prologue caught your attention and you're excited for the first official chapter! (: **

**Also, s/o to my first reviewer EVER JustAnotherJuliet11, you honestly made my day (:**

I pushed back the stray hairs that had fallen from my ponytail back behind my ear and continued to work on dinner. I only had half an hour until he was supposed to be home from work and I needed to have a hot meal prepared and sitting on the table by the time he arrived. I had learned my lesson the hard way.

"_What have you been doing all day? I don't go to work each day and work my fucking ass off so that you can stay home and_ _be nothing but a LAZY BITCH!" James flipped the table over in a rage, sending the dishes that had been sitting on it shattering in every direction. He advanced toward me and forcefully pinned me to the wall. Out of nowhere, his fist connected with my face causing me to see stars as I fell to the floor. _

_I grimaced as I came to and slowly worked myself into an upright position, using one of the legs of the kitchen table to help me gain my balance. The world began to spin and I slowly eased myself into a chair that had somehow managed to stay upright during the conflict. _

I remembered that day with vivid clarity. It was the day that my world had been flipped upside down, the day when the man that had vowed to love me forever showed his true colors.

I heard the front door open just as I finished plating our dinner of grilled chicken and steamed vegetables. The ominous sound of his footsteps as he made his way to the dining room caused anxiety to spread through my body. I tried to straighten myself up as best as I could and then stood waiting for him in the corner of the room like I did every evening.

James glanced over everything as he arrived in the doorway, my efforts eliciting a slight nod of approval on his part. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.

He sat down in his seat and immediately began to inhale his dinner. Halfway through his chicken he looked over his shoulder in my direction and motioned me over with his hand.

"Sit."

Carefully pulling out my chair, I followed his order. I kept my eyes on my plate as I ate, avoiding eye contact with James and trying not to do anything to provoke his anger. A pointed cough from across the table caused me to look up.

"Think you can make yourself useful for once and get me another damn beer?" he said with a slight undertone of annoyance.

"Of course, let me grab that for you", I stood up from my chair and proceeded into the kitchen. Grabbing a beer from the large stash in the refrigerator, I twisted off the cap as I made my way over to James.

Fate must have a cruel since of humor because I was almost next to him when my foot caught the leg of the table, causing me to spill the bottle of beer that was in my hand all over his body.

James abruptly rose from his chair, grabbing the napkin next to his plate and attempted to rid himself of the beer on his body.

I grabbed my napkin and tried to help the best I could, "I-I-I didn't mean to…"

My words were cut off as he backhanded me across the face. Grasping my elbow, he dragged me out of the dining room and into the hallway where he tossed me against the staircase, the railing digging into my back as I slid down it. His foot connects with my side causing pain to radiate all the way down to my toes. I curled into the fetal position, hoping to protect myself from any more of the blows he intended to inflict. He continues his assault on my body, each impact making me wish that it would be the one that would put me out of my misery. I finally get my wish when his foot roughly meets my temple. My vision starts to blur and darken and my limbs go limp. James's attack continues, but I slip into welcomed darkness.

I sat outside on the porch swing with my legs tucked underneath my body and a quilt my mother had made me when I was younger wrapped around my shoulders. I could hear the sound of James's snores from the open window above me. My body ached from the abuse I had endured, and I could feel my temple beginning to distend where James's foot had connected with it. Since I was alone, I allowed the tears to stream down my face. I would never give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry, it was one of the small pieces of dignity that I had left. This wasn't the life I had imagined for myself as I child. My life wasn't something that anyone should have to endure. As the swing rocked softly in the breeze I came to realize that feeling sorry for myself wasn't going to do me any good. Resolve washed over me and I knew what I needed to do. I needed to take a chance and do something drastic.

I needed to run.

Well, what do you guys think about Bella's decision? Reviews are definitely welcomed! (:


	3. Running from the Devil

**Sorry for the wait! I spent a week at Toyon Bay on Catalina Island and didn't have internet connection :P But now that I'm back in the land of good Wi-Fi, here's the next chapter! (:**

I needed to move quickly. If I didn't leave now I would talk myself into believing that staying here with James wouldn't eventually lead to my death. I climbed off of the swing and opened the front door, making sure that it didn't slam when I entered the house. Treading lightly across the hardwood floor, I made my way over to the closet and pulled a duffle bag off of the top shelf. I threw the bag over my shoulder and began to walk through the house, tossing my belongings into the bag. The process didn't take long. I didn't have much that I wanted to take with me, the less I had to remind me of this hell hole the better. I then made my way into the guest bedroom and dug underneath the bed. My hand hit the shoebox that held twenty five hundred dollars in cash. I had been putting money aside from the various odd jobs I worked for some time in case of an emergency. If getting away from James didn't constitute an emergency, I don't know what else would. I pulled the box out from under the bed and stuffed the cash into one of the duffle's side pockets for safe keeping.

Standing from my spot on the floor, I tiptoed out of the room and headed towards the front door. On my way out, my eyes glanced over the living room and fell on a picture of James and me at a function for his company. To the unsuspecting eye, we looked like a happy couple. James had his arm around my waist, both of us smiling at the camera. But as I looked closer, I could see the evidence of our strained relationship. His arm around my waist was more of an iron restraint than a loving hold. My smile didn't reach my eyes, and my eyes lacked any vibrancy. All I was to him was a possession, a pretty piece of arm candy to parade around his colleagues and fulfill his desires. I grabbed the picture off the mantle and tossed it in the wastebasket as I walked through the front door.

As I stood on my porch, my heart pounded as the reality of what I was about to do settled in. A part of me wanted to turn around and go back into the house before James realized I had tried to run away, but that part was overshadowed by a larger part that was aching to experience a new life. A life where I could be truly happy and live it to its fullest. I took a deep breath and with new found resolve, descended down the stairs and began my journey into town.

With my hood pulled over my head, I kept my face down as I walked, trying not to attract any attention to myself. The last thing I needed was anyone asking questions. Thankfully it was late enough that most everyone was asleep and wouldn't be concerned with a girl wandering the streets at night. As the trees and houses gave way to old warehouses and concrete, I spied my destination. The train station glowed like a beacon of light at the end of my dark and dismal tunnel. I lowered my hood and approached the ticket counter. The ticket agent was a middle aged woman with a bad perm and a sour looking face. She looked about as thrilled to be working the graveyard shift as a cat in a swimming pool. She looked up from the gossip magazine she had been reading and smacked her gum as I neared her station.

"Where to?" She ended her question with another smack of her gum.

I could care less, all I wanted was to get as far away from here as quickly as possible. I looked out onto the tracks and was thrilled to see a train pulling into the station. I turned back toward the grumpy ticket agent.

"Wherever that train is heading."

She raised an eyebrow at me, "Forks, Washington?"

It was perfect. Washington was on the other side of the country and I had never heard of Forks before, so I doubted that James had either.

"Yeah, that sounds wonderful"

The agent typed a few things into her computer, and looked up at me over her spectacles, "Five hundred fifty even."

I carefully counted out the amount and hoped that I would be able to live off of what little I had long enough for me to find a job. Grumpy Gills handed me my ticket and I walked onto the train, handing the conductor my ticket to punch as I climbed on. I found a seat next to a window and settled in for the long trip.

Before long the whistle blew and the train began to pull away from the station. My surroundings outside the window blurred as the train picked up speed.

Now it was time to start over in Forks.

**Thoughts? Hit the review button and let me know what you think (:**


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